There's a lot about Jujutsu Kaisen that effectively transformed the shonen genre for a new age, and its protagonist is a big part of that process. Yuji Itadori is a relatively unique shonen protagonist in several ways, although he also follows tried-and-true tropes to draw in audiences.
Yuji's friendly, straightforward demeanor hearkens to classic shonen protagonists like Goku from the Dragon Ball franchise, but his modern personality and involvement in a strikingly realistic world make him more relatable to audiences than most other shonen protagonists out there. There's much more about Yuji as a character that makes him stand out amongst other shonen protagonists.
10 Yuji Has A Literal Death Sentence From The Very Beginning
Some shonen protagonists might be able to boast about having a bounty on their head, such as Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece, but there aren't as many that can boast about getting a death sentence. And even if some shonen protagonists end up with a death sentence at some point, it's unlikely that it was forced upon them at the very beginning of the series. One of the first things audiences learn about Yuji is that he'll be executed once all of Ryomen Sukuna's fingers have been obtained.
9 Yuji Got Involved With The Jujutsu World In A Unique Way
Being an ordinary human with no special abilities of note outside of his excellent stamina and endurance, there's no reason that Yuji should have been involved in jujutsu society. But like many shonen protagonists, he found himself in the thick of a situation he knew nothing about. While many shonen protagonists have a bit more agency in accepting their quests, Yuji was pressed for time, so he did something unthinkable: He ate Sukuna's finger in a bid to gain strength and protect himself and Megumi.
8 Yuji Doesn't Have Any Clearly Defined Goal Or Aspiration
Most shonen protagonists have a clear, easy-to-follow goal. Naruto Uzumaki starts off wanting to become Hokage to gain his village's respect. Luffy sails the seas because he wants to be the pirate king. Eren Jaeger fights the Titans to free humanity and enact vengeance.
But Yuji is only interested in fulfilling his grandfather's dying wish, a cryptic desire for Yuji to help as many people as he can. His grandfather definitely made an understandable request, but "helping people" can mean a myriad of different things in different contexts.
7 Yuji's Personality Is Both Friendly & Relatable
Like most shonen protagonists, Yuji is a teenager who's thrust into an unpredictable and occasionally dangerous situation that they have to learn to navigate. But unlike other shonen protagonists, Yuji occupies a world that is strikingly similar to reality. Since Yuji is placed in a familiar setting for audiences, he has familiar worries and knows about familiar things. When training under Satoru Gojo to gain better control over his cursed energy, Yuji watched several films that both Western and Eastern audiences might have seen, and he even made a joke about Wilson (from the movie Castaway)!
6 Yuji Openly Admits What His Type Of Women Is
Shonen protagonists sometimes develop love interests, depending on whether there's room for romance in the series itself. And even if they don't develop a love interest, some shonen series will include a scene where the protagonist might be pressured into admitting what kind of romantic partner is their "type." More often than not, the protagonist shies away from answering the question directly. But, when Aoi Todo queries Yuji on this exact subject, Yuji answers seriously and truthfully. He prefers "tall women with a big ass," like Jennifer Lawrence.
5 Yuji Is Possessed By Sukuna, A Truly Evil Spirit Who He Can't Reason With
Not too many shonen protagonists are possessed by spirits, but those who do house another spirit tend to form a bond with their other selves. Yugi Muto becomes partners with Atem in Yu-Gi-Oh!, Eren uses the Attack Titan to his benefit in Attack on Titan, and Naruto eventually befriends Kurama in Naruto: Shippuden. Yuji, on the other hand, has to deal with Sukuna, a special-grade cursed spirit that only cares about power and his own hedonistic desires. Trying to reason with Sukuna hasn't gone well.
4 Yuji Occupies An Incredibly Modern Real-World Setting
Shonen protagonists tend to occupy made-up locations that are loosely based on real-life locations from varying times in history, but the world in Jujutsu Kaisen is nearly identical to the real Japan.
And not only is the location similar, but it's also very modern, appearing to be the Tokyo of the 2000s and not a Tokyo of ages past, like that seen in Demon Slayer. Seeing Yuji visit and talk about familiar locations and topics makes it easy for audiences to become immersed in the anime's world since it's so relatable.
3 Yuji Can't Rely On Sukuna In A Pinch
Since Sukuna is unwilling to cooperate with Yuji, that naturally means that Yuji can't quite count on him when things get rough. Other shonen protagonists, like Eren from Attack on Titan or Naruto in Naruto: Shippuden, can count on their inner other selves to help them when a situation gets dire. The one time that Yuji thought he could count on Sukuna's power to help him, Sukuna literally ripped Yuji's heart out of his chest and took his body hostage. Sukuna is only interested in his own goals and doesn't care for Yuji.
2 Yuji Focuses On What Makes A "Good Life" & A "Proper Death"
Many shonen protagonists have straightforward philosophies that guide their actions. Eren from Attack on Titan and Luffy from One Piece want freedom. Goku from the Dragon Ball franchise wants to be the strongest, while Deku from My Hero Academia wants to become the new Symbol of Peace. Yuji's focus, however, is far more philosophical and nuanced. Not only is he trying to save people as his dying grandfather wished, but he's also got to judge what a good life and a proper death are.
1 Yuji Is Only Important Because He's Sukuna’s Vessel
When Yuji ate Sukuna's finger for the first time, no one in jujutsu society could have imagined that he'd have withstood Sukuna's cursed energy, but he did. But even though Yuji shows remarkable aptitude to keep Sukuna at bay, jujutsu society still finds him too dangerous to keep alive. In other words, Yuji only matters to high-ranking jujutsu sorcerers and special grade cursed spirits because he's a suitable vessel for Sukuna. It's not too common of a trope in modern shonen anime for protagonists to not be valued for being themselves.